Jon Connington
Randyll Tarly's host stood 20,000 strong in front of the walls of Storm's End. Tarly led the host, and should he mean to give battle to them, he would more than likely win and retake Storm's End for the boy Tommem, Aegon's men numbered only 7,000, with some of the generals of the Golden Company still moving off from their outposts throughout the Stormlands, and the other Stormlords having retreated back to their own lands after they had pledged fealty to Aegon and Jon. Tarly's men would test whether or not Aegon could take King's Landing and whether or not Jon could hold Storm's End justify being lord paramount of the Stormlands, anything less than a victory or Tarly and his men bending the knee would lead to the Stormlords rebelling and Aegon most likely being killed and all the hard work all the years slaving away being for nothing. That was something Jon could not, would not allow to happen.
Aegon himself seemed to be in a rather good mood, the king was not plagued by the whole host of worries and doubts as Jon was, for he was young, and the young are always confident of their abilities, they always think themselves invincible. "Ah Jon, you might smile. Tarly hasn't yet tried to attack our walls, and our men's moral is high, we may as well ride out and treat with the man and find out what it is he wants exactly."
Jon repressed a sigh of impatience with his young charge, Aegon had always been wilful, reminding him more of Prince Oberyn than his own silver prince, but there was some sense in what the boy was saying, they held Storm's End and whilst they had taken the castle, Tarly was not the sort of man to resort to trickery to try and win the castle back, though Jon was still wary of actually going out and treating with the man, and he said as much. "No, that's what he wants us to do Your Grace. The minute we leave the walls of Storm's End to speak with the man he will try and grab you and take you hostage and then we are lost."
Aegon laughed then. "Oh Jon stop seeing shadows everywhere, if we go under a banner of parley, Tarly will be honour bound to speak with us peacefully, and besides if he is the man you say he is, the thought of seizing me won't have even crossed his mind. Besides if it makes you feel better, we can place archers on the walls of the castle, and Acteon will be there, for the whole of that damnable host to see."
Jon was silent for a moment as he thought over what the lad had said. It did make sense, Randyll Tarly was an honourable man, and a soldier, Aegon had taken Storm's End one of the most impenetrable castles in the whole of Westeros, that would likely have raised him high in Tarly's esteem. The fact that Aegon had Acteon, a red dragon that was growing bigger everyday and had been used in some shape or form to ensure that the Stormlords kept to their oaths could only hope. Perhaps he was being too over cautious or paranoid in his old age. He looked at Aegon and saw the expectation in the lad's eyes, and sighing once more said "Very well, we shall ride out to greet him, but I shall ride in the front, and Rolly and Ser Harold will ride beside you at all times, and I want Acteon to be close enough for you ride him should something go amiss."
Aegon beamed. "Excellent, so shall we lower the draw bridge then, I mean to speak with him now." And that was when Jon realised he had been played, Aegon had likely already been planning on speaking with Tarly regardless of what he had said, and sure enough as Jon opened the door to his solar, he found Ser Rolly Duckfield and Ser Harrold Cafferen of the Kingsguard waiting outside for them both. As they walked down the steps toward the courtyard, Jon looked up at the battlements and saw the archers of the Golden Company standing there waiting for a command or some sign of disquiet, in case they were called to action. Aegon noticed him looking around and said "What? You didn't think I would just agree to whatever you said Jon? I am the king, and a man grown now, I thought it only right I make act like one."
Jon said nothing, and remained silent as they mounted their horses and rode out of the castle, Ser Rolly carrying Aegon's banner, a member of the Golden Company carrying a banner of parley, out of the corner of his eye Jon spied Acteon, Aegon's red behemoth sleeping half way between them and the castle. They stopped in the middle between Storm's End and the Tarly host, and waited for what seemed like hours before Randyll Tarly and two other men, whom Jon did not know rode forth and greeted them. "Ah Lord Connington, so nice to see that the rumours of your death were ill contrived." Lord Tarly said gruffly.
"Yes my lord. I admit the secrecy chafed at me, but it was necessary so as not to draw attention to his grace." Jon said nodding to Aegon who had ridden up next to him.
Tarly turned his attention to Aegon then, looking him up and down as if scrutinising him and judging whether or not he was the real deal. Eventually he spoke. "Well he certainly looks like Prince Rhaegar, I shall give you that. Though if I remember correctly, Prince Rhaegar's eyes were a deeper shade of purple. So tell me, I have heard it said you have a dragon, and where would this dragon be?"
Jon was about to reply, when he heard Acteon give a shriek and soon there she was having landed right next to Aegon's horse, her green eyes were fixed on Randyll Tarly's staring at him, Tarly stared back at the she dragon not even blinking, before he turned away and looked once more at Aegon. His voice shook slightly as he spoke. "Very well then, Your Grace. As you know I have come here with 20,000 men under the order of my liege lord Mace Tyrell, Lord of Highgarden and Warden of the South. He ordered me here under the pretext of removing you and your forces from Storm's End, however that was just a front used to appease the Queen Regent, what I have really been sent here for is to act as my liege lord's proxy, and in his name bend the knee to you, and pledge House Tyrell and the Reach's support to your cause and claim to the Iron Throne. Myself and my men are yours to do with as you see fit."
Tarly had dismounted from his horse after he had spoken and was on one knee now, waiting for Aegon to raise him up. Aegon looked at Jon once hesitatingly, Jon merely nodded. Aegon was right, he was king now, it was time he acted as one. Slowly Aegon dismounted from his horse, and walked to Lord Tarly, and softly said. "Rise Lord Tarly, I Aegon Targaryen Sixth of my name, and rightful King of the Seven Kingdoms, do hereby accept House Tyrell and the Reach's pledge of fealty, and I promise to serve you as a just an able king for as long as I am able to."
With that done, Lord Tarly stood back up and Jon breathed a sigh of relief, they know had more men and had managed to avoid more bloodshed. Randyll Tarly ordered his men to set up camp close to Storm's End and along with his son Dickon and his squire Addam Appleton rode back to the castle with Aegon and Jon. Once they were back inside the castle Aegon immediately led them to the lord's solar, much to Jon's surprise and pride, he would have thought Aegon would insist that Lord Tarly rest first. Of course the minute they all were seated, the talk turned to how they would take King's Landing. "Well Mace still holds the cards in King's Landing, Queen Cersei believes that she has rested power from him by removing the old High Septon and installing one of her toadies in as the new one. But that High Septon will not last very long, there are things going on in the Sept of Baelor that are working towards House Tyrell's gain and now for Your Grace's gain as well."
"What sort of things?" Jon asked suspiciously, Mace Tyrell had always been a very ambitious man, but that mother of his was the brains behind the whole host of schemes that the family had implemented over the years.
"I know not my lord. I apologise, but I am a warrior not a schemer. But, now that Your Grace has accepted our pledge of allegiance, the gates of King's Landing will be open to you when you march for the capital." Lord Tarly replied.
"And Lord Tyrell wishes for no reward for this service? He does not wish for his daughter to be wed to King Aegon?" Jon asked, feeling as if something was not going right.
"No my lord, he does not. He knows of His Grace's betrothal to the Lady Allyria. His son Willas was in Starfall for a time, and was there when the betrothal was announced." Lord Tarly replied.
Jon merely nodded. From what Varys had told them, the Stark girl, what was her name Lyanna? No that wasn't it, Sansa? Yes that must have been it, yes she had been in Starfall for some time ever since Joffrey the Falseborn's death, so it seemed the Tyrells wanted to extend their control to the north as well?
"Very well then," Aegon said, speaking for the first time during their brief meeting. "My uncle shall be leading 10,000 Dornish spears up through the Dornish Marches to meet us at the Kingswood Forest, and now with you, and your men here, and with Jon being confirmed as Lord of the Stormlands we can march as soon as possible."
Two weeks later after 2,000 Stormlords had assembled at Storm's End, and suitable preparations had been made they marched. 20,000 Reachmen led by Randyll Tarly, 2,000 Stormlords led by Ser Harrold Cafferen and 7,000 members of the Golden Company led by Jon, Aegon flew overhead on Acteon, the red dragon covering the skies with her wings. There was only one thing that distracted them from their preparations, Tyrion Lannister, the dwarf son of Tywin Lannister, who had picked up greyscale during their interning at the Sorrows, died from a fever three days before the army was due to leave, and with him died the last male heir to descend directly from Tywin Lannister.
It took them a moon to reach King's Landing, in which time they were joined by Prince Oberyn and 10,000 Dornish Spears and the similarities between uncle and nephew amazed Jon, Aegon became louder and more boisterous the more time he spent in his uncle's company, and Prince Oberyn no longer seemed to be the quiet and sullen man he had been at Storm's End when he had come to treat with them, it was if some life had been injected into him, then again Jon supposed he was that much closer to getting justice for his sister and niece.
As promised by Randyll Tarly when they arrived outside the gates of King's Landing, they found no visible source of a threat or even defences, if they truly wished to they could sack the city, but Jon still had nightmares about what he had heard had been done to King's Landing when the Lannisters had sacked the city, and Aegon was returning to his home, not trying to conquer an enemy city, and therefore Jon was glad when the boy ordered that no sacking, looting or raping should take place. Those who surrendered peacefully should be allowed to live, those who struggled, would die. Jon led his men through the Dragon Gate with Aegon flying overhead, and instead of finding a city completely desolate of life, or with people looking as if they were struggling not to flee, they were greeted with cheers, and the sound of people crying with joy. Jon lost count of the number of times he heard someone shout aloud "Long live the king. Long live King Aegon!" Or "The king has returned. Hail to the King!"
It seemed as if Mace Tyrell had stuck true to his word, and had delivered the city safely into Aegon's hands, though Jon could not help the feeling that something was off even as he rode through the streets of the capital to the Red Keep, the sound of the denizens of King's Landing cheering and applauding the return of their rightful king. At the foot of Aegon's High Hill, Jon and Aegon stopped their approach and were greeted by Ser Garlan Tyrell, the second son of Mace Tyrell. The man bore a smile on his face, "Greetings Your Grace, my lord. Welcome to King's Landing, welcome home. If I may lead you into the Red Keep, my father wishes to greet you as well." And so Jon spurred his horse up the path toward the Red Keep, a way he had first come when he had been but a boy of seven, sent to squire alongside Prince Rhaegar all those years ago. Aegon got to the top of the hill first, and dismounted smoothly, before he got on a horse that one of the stable hands provided him, two members of the city watch opened the doors to the Red Keep for them, and Ser Garlan led them into the throne room. Where they found standing at the foot of the stairs leading to the throne, Lord Mace Tyrell, a smile on his face.
"Ah Your Grace! Welcome, welcome back to your city and to your throne." Mace Tyrell said, bowing as he spoke.
Aegon spurred his horse on to the foot of the stairs and then dismounted, he stood a good two inches taller than Mace Tyrell and Jon nearly shivered at how much he sounded like Rhaegar when he said. "I thank you for all you have done for me Lord Tyrell, I owe you a debt and it shall not be forgotten."
The next two weeks past in a blur for Jon, the surreal feeling that they had finally achieved everything that they had set out to achieve, Aegon was sitting on the Iron Throne, he held the Stormlands, Dorne and the Reach, with Aegon on the throne and Stannis Baratheon either dying or dead, his rule would be uncontested and the rest of the kingdoms would soon bend the knee. The Lords of the Reach led by Lord Tyrell bent the knee to Aegon and formally pledged their allegiance to him and House Targaryen forevermore, Prince Oberyn bent the knee and along with several other prominent Dornish lords also swore his allegiance to Aegon and House Targaryen and Jon did the same for the Stormlords. Amongst the usurper Robert Baratheon's small council there was only two men left, one of whom had fled to the Vale the night of Joffrey Baratheon's death, the other was the Spider, that eunuch, that chief of manipulation Lord Varys, who was pardoned for serving the usurper and his sons and was reinstated to the position of Master of Whispers on the Small Council by Aegon. Jon himself was named Hand of the King formally in the same ceremony, and Ser Rolly Duckfield was named Lord Commander of Aegon's Kingsguard, a Kingsguard that as well Ser Rolly and Ser Harrold included, Ser Loras Tyrell- who had never been in Dragonstone in the first place- Ser Daemon Sand with there being three spaces left for three knights from the remaining three kingdoms once they bent the knee.
Aegon appointed his uncle Prince Oberyn as master of laws, and thanked him most profusely for pledging his support to the cause, and spoke of how much he looked forward to meeting and wedding his betrothed Allyria Dayne, Jon could not help but think that if the girl was half as pretty as her sister had been at the same age, then Aegon would more than likely never think about his aunt Daenaerys ever again. A thought which did not worry Jon so much, despite the whispers that Varys brought them that Daenaerys had finally set sail from Essos with the Iron Fleet behind her commanded by her betrothed Victarion Greyjoy, who was now Lord of the Iron Islands, what with his niece and nephew either dead or missing, his brother Euron dead, killed by Ser Garlan. A terrifying thought, and yet one that Jon could truly bring himself to worry about at the present moment, not when their victory was still so sweet to taste.
There was one small smudge on the perfect victory though, the second day after Aegon's coronation, the City Watch dragged in Cersei Lannister, the woman had been hiding in a brothel according to Ser Mors Sand, the new Lord Commander of the City Watch. Aegon had looked at the woman who had been the usurper's queen curiously, though Jon watched her with some trepidation, he knew that the woman could have been Rhaegar's queen, might have even been Aegon's mother, had Aerys had the sense to see how much better things would have been. "Where is your son my lady? " Aegon had asked.
"Dead, he's dead because of you." Cersei Lannister had replied sounding half crazed.
"Dead? But I gave specific orders for you two not to be harmed. I am not your father my lady, I do not agree with the murder of innocents." Aegon had replied softly, Jon had snorted if what Varys had told them, Cersei Lannister was far from innocent.
It was then that Cersei Lannister had given a maniacal laugh. "Oh you foolish boy. Your men didn't kill him, I did. I killed my sweet poor Tommem, to protect him from whatever foolishness you would have dealt him. He was a lion, a soft on admittedly, but a lion nonetheless, and he deserved nothing better than a mother's last gift."
The whole court had been shocked into silence, by the woman who had just admitted to killing her own son, her own flesh and blood, out of some mad act of safety. Aegon had looked disgusted with her and his voice was as cold as the ice on the wall when he spoke. "Give her to Muelor, I do not wish to see her again." And so Cersei Lannister had been executed that very day.
The daily business of running the kingdom took up much of Jon's time, so much so that thoughts of who had now claimed dominion of the Casterly Rock and Lordship over the west easily slipped through his mind, and as such the issue was put on the back burner for some time, until three moons after Aegon's coronation, a raven arrived from the rock writ in Martyn Lannister's hand declaring that he was coming to pledge allegiance to Aegon. And so a moon after the raven arrived, Martyn Lannister and his aunt and cousins did arrive, with them they brought Lord Edmure Tully, who had been kept a hostage in the Golden Tooth since the Red Wedding. Martyn Lannister was according to Varys a young lad of sixteen, who had served as a squire during the War of the Five Kings, and had since dealt ruthlessly and efficiently with any possible rebel lords in the Westerlands. The Westerlings, that house that had been the co-conspirators with Lord Tywin in instigating the Red Wedding, had been crushed with words when Sybell Westerling had protested the withdrawal of Martyn's cousin Joy Hill's betrothal to one of her sons. Ser Rolph Spicer had tried to amass the men around Castamere to rally for his sister and deal with the insult dealt by Martyn, the man had never returned back to his castle after Martyn Lannister had met with him. Lord Crakehall had challenged his authority, demanding to know why he should have to pay his dues to some stripling boy, and according to Varys Martyn Lannister had sent the man a boar's head, the message clear, Lord Crakehall had stopped his protests.
So Jon could understand why Aegon felt nervous dealing with the man, even if he was only a few years younger than him. Lannister bowed before Aegon, and swore his oaths of fealty as did his relatives. Once that was done, however, he did not move away as his relatives did, instead Edmure Tully walked forward and stood next to him. Martyn Lannister spoke in a soft voice, but one could hear the power and authority that voice commanded. " Your Grace there is one more issue that I wish to speak with you of."
Jon stood rigid at the foot of the throne waiting for what the boy would say, "Go on Lord Lannister." He heard Aegon say.
"As you know Lord Edmure has been a hostage of Lord Lefford's since that damnable wedding at the Twins. What happened at that wedding was a sham, and has disgraced both my house and House Frey, though House Frey has paid the ultimate price for its part in the wedding, I do not wish for my house to suffer the same fate. My uncle ordered that wedding not myself or my kinsmen, therefore I wish to offer this as a way to pave for forgiveness for the wrongs my house has done the Starks and the Tullys. If you would agree to make sure that my right and my children and their descendants rights as Lord of the Rock and Warden of the West will be secure, then I propose that Lord Edmure and Lady Alysanne Lefford marry to secure the peace between our two peoples."
"Is Lord Edmure agreeable to this and what happened to his Frey Bride?" Jon asked curiously.
"I am my lord, Your Grace." A rather thin looking Lord Tully says. "My wife Roslin and my daughter died of a winter fever at the Twins, we had word from Mors Umber when the event occurred. I believe wedding Alysanne Lefford will be for the best of the realm in establishing peace between House Tully and House Lannister."
"Very well then I see no reason why this cannot be done." Aegon says.
"One more thing Your Grace." Martyn Lannister says, and Jon Connington is amazed at the boy's cheek. "I wish to marry the Lady Margaery."
Jon sees the amused expression on Aegon's face and hears it in his voice as he says. "That is not for me to say. It is for Lord Tyrell and for Lady Margaery herself. Do you have any complaints my lord, my lady?"
"None Your Grace." They both reply as Jon knew they would. And so it is that two weeks later a double wedding occurs at the Great Sept of Baelor and the commons have something to celebrate.
A moon later Allyria Dayne arrives in the capital along with her nephew Lord Edric Dayne and several cousins from High Hermitage and a retinue that includes Princess Arianne Martell. Jon watches as Aegon falls head over heels in love with Allyria during the month that leads up to their marriage, and he feels glad that Aegon has found something that neither he nor his silver prince ever managed to find in life. Their wedding in the Great Sept of Baelor brings out every lord and common person in the kingdoms to have bent the knee to Aegon so far and is celebrated for a long, long time. Two moons in fact.
They had been made aware of the divisions within the Vale between those lords led by Bronze Yohn Royce the Lord of Runestone and those in the pocket of Lord Baelish the current Lord Protector of the Vale and former lord of Harrenhal. The divisions arose after Lord Royce and those lords calling themselves the Lords Declarant opposed Lady Lysa Tully marrying Baelish a man whom they all thought was beneath a widowed Lady Arryn and was a schemer and toady to the Lannisters, and if Varys can be believed they are not wrong. The man sold out Ned Stark to the Queen, and was responsible for the war between the Lannisters and the Starks that resulted in nearly all of the Starks being wiped out, that is something Jon knows could be useful in bringing Lord Stark to heal.
Desmond Stone served as knight to Lord Royce in Runestone, and came to King's Landing as the man's envoy as well as to pledge the secret allegiance of the Lords Declarant to Aegon and Allyria. And it is him who informs Jon of Mya Stone, Robert Baratheon's bastard daughter, and the last remaining Baratheon of marriageable age. Jon who had been desperately searching for any relative from the main Baratheon Line whom he could marry to better secure his hold on Storm's End and ensures his line continues, after he is gone, is relieved when Desmond tells him about the girl, and he is not the least bit concerned when he tells him, "She's like Robert was when he was young, headstrong and stubborn. But she is a lovely girl underneath all that." For he only needs to wed her and then bed her so that he can continue his line and have heirs, he need not fall in love, not now, not now that Aegon sits the throne.
And so he arranges along with Desmond Stone to bring the girl to court so he may meet her and court her. And court her he does, for a whole month he speaks with her and uses all of his life experience to charm her and make her agreeable to the marriage, he does not try and flirt with her, and it seems she appreciates that. He merely tells her that as his wife, she will be the second most powerful lady in Westeros behind the Queen, and as a legitimized Baratheon she will hold more power than the girl who has married her former lover. She seems amenable enough to the thought of wedding him, that after a month of courting her he goes to Aegon and asks his former ward to legitimize the girl. Aegon who has been married for four moons by this point and is expecting a child, simply stares at him and says "Very well then my lord." And so Mya Stone becomes Mya Baratheon, and they wed in the Great Sept of Baelor eleven months after Aegon took King's Landing.
With that done, Jon returns his focus to the situation in the Vale and with Aegon and the rest of the small council- that includes Varys, Prince Oberyn, Lord Lefford, Grand Maester Gormon Tyrell, and Ser Rolly- they discuss what could be done to remove Littlefinger from power. "We could always send Acteon over there and burn him out." Prince Oberyn jokes one time, after hours of countless discussion where it seems as if they are getting nowhere.
There are a few laughs but no one takes the suggestion seriously, thoughts of mad King Aerys still to prominent in the memory. Desmond Stone who sits in on these meetings speaks next. "Perhaps the Iron Throne need not do anything just yet. Lord Baelish's year is quickly coming to an end, and he has done little to appease the Lords Declarant, Lady Lysa may love the man, but she loves her son more. She will allow Baelish out the moon door, if it is what she views as best for her son. Lord Yohn Royce could ensure she sees it that way."
There is some murmuring at that, but then Aegon speaks, sounding tired. "If that is so why then did Lord Royce not make the move four moons ago, or even last month when Jon had married Mya Stone?"
Desmond Stone smiles tiredly at the King and says. "Because his cousin was in Littlefinger's pocket until two weeks ago. Lord Yohn has just managed to make Lord Nestor see the error of his ways."
There is some murmuring at that as well, before Aegon says. "Very well. I shall give Lord Yohn another three weeks, if Littlefinger is not ousted by then, I shall take charge myself and see that Littlefinger is out the moon door whether Lady Lysa likes it or not."
With that Desmond Stone goes, and they move onto the next issue of import. "Word from the Twins my lords, Your Grace." Varys began. "Stannis Baratheon has died. Meaning Lady Shireen is his heir, not a problem you might think as she is still up at the Wall. However, before he died he named Jon Stark as his little girl's lord protector, and Stark according to my sources seems determined to place her on the throne."
There was much murmuring at this and eventually Aegon spoke. "Well I guess there is only one thing to do then, I must fly to Winterfell myself and remind Lord Stark why it was that Torrhen Stark bent the knee in the first place."